Reliving History
by The King of Soda
Summary: Gohan goes back in time to stop Cell, who has fled during the Cell Games. Alone, with no else to turn to, can Gohan stop Cell before he changes history too much?
1. Entering the Tournament

Reliving History

DISCLAIMER: I don't own DBZ.

CHAPTER 1: Entering the Tournament

Gohan strolled down the streets of PapayaIsland, so lost in his own mind that the outside world appeared to be little more than a blur to him, seemingly passing by at its own uninteresting pace.

_How did I end up here?_ he wondered. But deep inside, he already knew the answer. _I should have killed Cell immediately! If I had_,_ Father wouldn't be dead and Cell..._ Gohan involuntarily clenched his fist, his brows furrowing. _I shouldn't have underestimated Cell! Now_,_ I've got to find him and stop him before he does any more damage to this time too._

Gohan looked up and was surprised to find himself at the front gate of the Tenkaichi Budokai, so lost in thought had he been that he hadn't noticed where he was going, his feet moving by of their own accord.

It had been only three days since he had arrived here, and beyond that, an entire year since the end of the Cell Games, at which time Cell had stolen Trunks's time machine from his dead body, and fled into the past. He could remember all too clearly the last words Cell had imparted to him before he left, as though they were burned into his psyche:

_"It seems that I have underestimated you Saiyans one time too many_,_ but I assure you_,_ this is a mistake I will soon rectify. I'm afraid that I am going to have to take my leave of you now. But if you wish to follow me_,_ then I expect to see you_,_ Gohan_,_ at the conclusion of the event known as the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai. If you cannot stop me_,_ you can say goodbye to the Earth of that time too! Until then."_

And with that, Cell placed two fingertips to his forehead and vanished, leaving a very stunned Gohan and the remaining Z Fighters behind.

The Z Warriors had deliberated and come to the agreement that despite the fact that anything Cell did in the past wouldn't affect their own personal timeline, they simply couldn't let Cell be allowed to destroy that world as well or take any more innocent lives. However, actually following him to the past might have been a little trickier. Fortunately for them, they were able to locate Trunks's other time machine, the one Cell had hijacked and used to get to their time in search of Androids Seventeen and Eighteen. It was wrecked beyond repair, but after a year of research, Bulma was able to replicate another one. Its power was limited, she informed them, and could only be used for two trips, whereas the one Trunks had returned in was capable of four, but it would work well enough to follow Cell back in time and get the time traveler in question home to boot.

Gohan had volunteered, despite vehement protests from Chi-Chi. In the end, Gohan was able to convince her that if he didn't stop Cell before Goku and Chi-Chi got together, he would destroy the Earth and prevent him from ever being born, and Chi-Chi couldn't come up with an argument after that. And Gohan felt that, as the one responsible for their current mess, it was his job to seek out Cell and destroy him personally.

"And now here I am, Gohan muttered to himself. "Well, I'll make sure you don't win this time, Cell. That's a promise."

Walking up to the registration desk, Gohan stood expectantly in front of the monk working behind the desk, waiting patiently for the man to notice him. The man glanced up, noticing Gohan for the first time. "Hello," he said to Gohan. "Are you here to compete in the tournament or to watch?"

"Uh, compete," Gohan said.

After a whole year of contemplation back in his own time, Gohan had decided that the best way to find Cell might be to lure him out into the open. He hadn't exactly ordered Gohan to compete in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, after all, but Gohan had a feeling that competing in the tournament would draw out Cell more quickly. Of course, fighting in the tournament also meant seeing his dad again, as well as a lot of his other old friends too. This was going to be a very trying next couple of days.

"Okay. If I could just have your name, please, we'll be all set," the monk said.

"My name's Go..." Gohan caught himself just in time.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" the monk said in confusion.

_I can't use my real name or the others will discover me!_ Gohan thought anxiously. _If I do anything to interfere in this timeline_,_ the other me might not be born. I've got to think of something else!_

"Sir?" the monk prompted.

Gohan blurted out the first name he could think of.

"Icarus. My name's Icarus," he said quickly.

The monk blinked his eyes, but after a moment said, "Okay, Icarus, you're signed up. To be sure, you do understand that the tournament is not responsible for any injuries you might receive, and that foreign objects are not allowed, excepting claws and other natural weapons?"

Gohan nodded.

"Then good luck. Off with you now," the monk replied, shooing Gohan away.

Gohan chuckled softly. He was about to move away when he sensed a dozen familiar ki heading his way. Turning his head, he saw two taxis drive up. The doors opened, and out stepped the occupants.

Gohan almost seized up.

They were undoubtedly younger versions of his friends. There was Krillin, Yamcha, Master Roshi, Bulma, Puar and Oolong, Turtle, and a blond-haired woman Gohan personally didn't know, but could only assume must be the infamous Launch his dad had once told him about.

Gohan watched in numb shock as they approached the registration counter, his mind going a thousand miles an hour. _I didn't expect to see them again so soon! But where's Daddy? Why isn't he with them?_ Reaching out with his senses, he detected his father's own familiar ki, a few hundred miles off, but still on the same island.

"He'd better hurry," Oolong was saying. "If he's not careful, he'll miss the entries."

"It's not like him to be late. I sure hope he didn't forget what day it is," Master Roshi said pensively.

"Hey, is that him?" Bulma suddenly shouted.

Gohan started, and to his surprise and horror his future friends were now staring at _him_. Unable to think of anything to say, too stunned to even move, Gohan could only stand there, the unintentional center of attention for his friends' penetrating eyes, blinking and sweating profusely.

_Now what am I going to do?_ Gohan thought in terror. _I've got to say something_,_ but I can't move at all! It feels like my body is frozen! I didn't think seeing them again would be _this_ hard!_

It was just a good thing his tail, which had regrown during the year, was tucked securely out of sight, as that would have been too much of a dead giveaway as to his identity, although that didn't solve Gohan's dilemma now. However, not a moment had passed when Master Roshi said, "Hm? No, it isn't, but he sure looks like him."

He moved closer to Gohan. Gohan managed to bite down the blind panic that had threatened to overwhelm him, mentally repeating a calming mantra that Piccolo had taught him before the arrival of the Saiyans. Master Roshi stared at Gohan perplexedly, tilting his head to the side, as if attempting to figure him out. "Hello. I'm the Turtle Hermit, Master Roshi. Sorry if we scared you. We thought you were someone we knew. Are you here to compete in the tournament?"

Taking in a deep breath and trying to ignore the sudden thundering of his frightened heart, Gohan nodded and said in as steady a voice as he could muster, "Um, yeah. My name's Goha..." Biting down what he had been about to say, Gohan said instead, "Uh, Icarus. My name is Icarus."

"Icarus, huh?" Yamcha said. "That's an unusual name. Say, where do you come from, kid?"

Gohan gulped. "Uh, I live in the 439 Mountain Area, near Mt. Paozu," he said.

It wasn't a lie, technically; back in his time, he _did_ live there, along with his mother and brother, so he hoped that they would accept his story without question.

To his immense relief, they seemed to buy this, but not without some surprise.

"Mt. Paozu?" Bulma repeated. "That's hundreds of miles away. You must really be dedicated to fighting in this tournament."

Gohan laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, a trait he had inherited from his father.

"You're not Goku, but you sure do act a lot like him," Krillin observed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that the two of you were related."

Gohan removed his hand from his head, hoping to correct his error. "Uh, yeah, well, I don't even know this Goku. Is he a friend of yours?" he asked, cursing his own inborn honesty and the difficulties with lying that this entailed. He hoped that the change in subject would detract their attention from him, at least for the moment.

Thankfully, this seemed to have done the trick, for they all glanced down the road leading off into the distance.

"Yes, he is, but for some reason he's not here," Bulma said. "And he was really looking forward to the competition."

"He'll wait to show up at the last minute. Just watch," Oolong snorted.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about," the blond-headed woman suddenly retorted. "Fighting with rules, how boring."

Gohan stared at the woman. _Wow_,_ is she serious?_

"If anyone else but you had said that, I would have thought they were bragging," Turtle sighed.

"Sweet sauerkraut," Gohan heard Master Roshi say from behind him, his hyper-sensitive hearing enabling him to pick up every word quite clearly, "I almost forgot to sign up."

Fighting down a jolt of sudden surprise, Gohan followed Master Roshi with his ki senses. He didn't know Master Roshi had competed in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai! He listened to him speaking with the monk in hushed tones.

"Say, there's a name I'd like to enter in the tournament," he told the man. "Jackie Chun."

Gohan nearly jumped out of his skin. _Master Roshi is Jackie Chun? He's the one who defeated my father in the first competition he ever fought in?_

The monk appeared to be having a similar reaction.

"Jackie Chun?" he repeated. "You don't mean THE Jackie Chun who won the championship at the last competition? I don't believe it, you're him?"

"Shhh!" Master Roshi shushed, turning back to face the others. Gohan managed to avert his gaze in time, but inwardly he was confused. _Why would Master Roshi enter under a different name? Was he trying to avoid the fame? Somehow_,_ I don't think so. So then_,_ why was he doing this?_ He made a mental note to ask Master Roshi about it later; obviously he wanted to keep it a secret, so that's what Gohan was going to do.

"Oh, there's only five minutes left!" Bulma exclaimed, looking at her watch.

"He's not gonna make it," Oolong said pessimistically.

Gohan was tempted to tell them that Goku was getting very close, but that would lead to awkward questions as to how he knew that, so he bit his tongue and kept quiet. Although it was weaker and significantly different than that of the Goku he knew, Gohan could sense his father's distinct ki, and knew that he would be here within minutes, with just enough time left to register at the front desk.

"Master, Goku is going to make it in time, isn't he?" Krillin said to Master Roshi, who had returned silently.

"Just keep your eye on that road, he'll be here," Master Roshi said confidently.

"Uh, hey, you were chatting with that clerk like you were best friends," Turtle observed, glancing upwards at Master Roshi.

"That's none of your business!" Master Roshi snapped.

"Hello," a voice behind them announced.

"Hm?" Master Roshi said, turning around.

Gohan followed suit, as did the rest of the future Z Fighters.

There were three people standing there behind them, two of them very familiar to Gohan. It was, without a doubt, the younger counterparts of Tien and Chiaotzu, but they looked very, very different from the ones in his time. Unlike the Tien and Chiaotzu back home, the fighters standing in front of him looked smug, and there was an inner darkness in them that Gohan had never sensed before around the two.

The last person finishing the trio was someone who Gohan had never seen before, in either of the timelines. Standing higher than Chiaotzu, but slightly shorter than Tien, he wore the same green tunic with yellow-and-black pants and a symbol of a crane on his outfit. Perched atop his head was a hat that strongly resembled a crane and a pair of dark sunglasses completed the look. Overall, he reminded Gohan of a darker version of Master Roshi.

"Nice to see you've come out of your shell, Master Roshi," he said haughtily.

"Hm, Hermit Crane, what a surprise," Master Roshi sniffed. "After all these years you're still alive?"

"The lines on your face are just as deep, old friend," the man retorted.

"Well, that was rude," Bulma said.

"Relax, I didn't come here to start trouble," the man said smoothly. "In fact, I heard a silly little whisper that your pupils did quite well during the last tournament. I guess the saying is true, anything can happen."

Gohan felt very confused at the man's comment. _Who is this guy? And why is he talking about Father and Master Roshi like that?_

"What's it to you, huh?!" Roshi snapped.

"You're out of your league, Roshi, admit it! You were privileged by my absence last time, but we both know fighting against my team is an exercise in futility. Not even _Jackie Chun_ could handle my boys," the man said snidely. "Do yourself a favor and go home!"

There was a moment of tense silence, then the man burst out laughing.

"I sympathize with your crew, I really, really do. Inadequacy is always such a tough pill to swallow, but it sure beats public humiliation."

"Thanks for the concern, it's nice to see some things haven't changed, like you're still full of hot air," Master Roshi shot back.

Suddenly the two got in each other's faces, snarling angrily and glaring daggers at the other.

"You'd better stay out my way!" the man yelled.

"We're not turning tail for you or anyone!" Master Roshi shouted.

Gohan didn't know what to feel on this issue, but he knew he couldn't allow this to erupt into bloodshed. Stepping in between the two, he held out his arms to both sides and said, "Master Roshi, please, stop fighting! What's there to be upset over? Can't we talk about this?"

Master Roshi tried gently shoving Gohan away, but Gohan refused to budge. After a few terse minutes, the other man backed away, laughing. "You have this little boy to thank for my sparing you, Roshi, but make no mistake, I won't extend the same generosity twice!" Returning to Tien and Chiaotzu, the man turned to head into the gates, uttering a final insult, "You've been warned, now suffer the consequences! Let's go, I've wasted enough time on these fools!"

The three departed.

"Who was that?" Gohan wondered. _And what are Tien and Chiaotzu doing with him?_ he added silently.

"Hmph, his name's Master Shen, but I used to call him friend," Master Roshi said gravely. Looking down at Gohan, he added, "You shouldn't have gotten involved, Icarus. Shen and his pupils are ruthless men. They won't hesitate a second to take their vengeance out on you. Do not provoke their wrath."

Gohan was about to answer that he wasn't afraid of this Shen person when Oolong shouted, "Time's almost up! We have one minute left!"

"He's late!" Turtle exclaimed.

"Relax," Yamcha said, turning to his trusty feline familiar. "Puar, I want you to transform into Goku and register as him."

"Right!" Puar said.

"No!" Gohan snapped, shocking everyone, including himself. His father's ki was very near. "He'll be here."

Yamcha was just about to retort when suddenly a dust cloud appeared on the horizon. At closer glance it was revealed to be a person... it was Goku!

"Look, he's right!" Launch said. "Here he is!"

"Hello, everybody!" Goku called to them. "Wait up, I'm coming!"

It took all of Gohan's willpower not to launch himself at Goku in tears and apologize over and over again, seeking his pardon for his erroneous judgment in handling Cell. His father's death was like an open wound, made worse especially by the fact that it was his fault, _he_ had been responsible. If he hadn't wanted to make Cell suffer... and now, seeing his father again, so young and innocent and carefree and unaware of what the future held... it was almost too much for Gohan to bear.

Goku came to a stop in front of them. "Long time no see!" His friends rushed over, completely ignoring Gohan.

Gohan watched through a numb haze as Goku and his friends conversed happily, reunited after a long period of being apart. Gohan suddenly didn't want to be there anymore. He was vaguely aware of them talking, standing off to the side, fighting against tears.

He had failed his father! If only he hadn't been so stupid! He had let his new powers go to his head, and his father had paid the ultimate price for his arrogance. _I shouldn't be here!_ Gohan thought miserably. _I don't even deserve to stand in their presence. I'm no hero. I let my Daddy die. It should have been me_,_ not him! It should have been _me_!_

Gohan stared miserably at the ground, unaware of the shadow that fell over him.

"Uh, excuse me, but who are you?"

Gohan froze.

He looked up.


	2. Ghosts of the Past

Reliving History

DISCLAIMER: I don't own DBZ.

CHAPTER 2: Ghosts of the Past

Gohan stood speechless, unable to tear his eyes off the young boy who was standing in front of him, his head tilted sideways, staring at Gohan quizzically. The boy was a bit shorter than him, with black hair pointing up and to the right, as though permanently defying gravity, a furry brown tail, and he wore a Tarzan-style pelt fashioned from what looked like the skin of leopards.

For a moment, Gohan could only stare at him, drinking in the sight of his younger father, too lost in his own raging emotions to even think of how to respond to Goku's question, much less answer it. Everything about him, his eyes, his face, even his expression, all of it was the same, despite his obvious younger characteristics. Looking into the innocent eyes of the younger version of his father, Gohan found he couldn't maintain contact, and hastily looked away.

"Um, I... don't know, what you mean?" Gohan stammered uncertainly.

The child's inquisitive gaze deepened, and he said, "Uh, hey, do we know each other? You look a lot like me."

Now sensing the others' gazes on him as well, Gohan swallowed and forced himself to answer as calmly as he could manage. "Er, no, I don't really think so. Honest. You see, my name's Icarus," he said with a weak laugh, trying not to let his anxiety show.

Now Goku laughed heartily and loudly, something that sounded like pure music to Gohan's ears. He hadn't heard his father's laugh in a long time. "That's a funny name!" he chortled. "Are you fighting in the tournament? I'd love to go up against you. I can tell you're really strong."

Gohan couldn't help but to smile a little. He simply nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.

"Oh, come on Goku, leave him alone," Bulma interrupted, sounding amused. "You don't want to terrify the poor boy."

Goku laughed again. "Sorry," he said, still chuckling. "I just get so excited when it comes to fighting. I hope you do well in the tournament."

Gohan grinned. "Thanks."

Master Roshi cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Well, since we're all here and registered for the tournament, what do you say we go and grab a bite to eat?"

"Food!" Goku exclaimed, warming to the subject of his favorite pastime.

Master Roshi nodded. "It's customary to feast before a big fight, and since they don't come any bigger than the Tenkaichi Budokai, we should dine on the best meal this town has to offer!"

The others all voiced their agreement on the matter, turning away and walking off in happy conversation. Suddenly, Goku turned around and spared a quick glance at Gohan, who had remained behind, frowning intently and staring down at the ground. Murmuring a quick word to his friends, Goku hurried back to him and asked, "Hey, since you're also fighting in the tournament, why don't you come with us? There's going to be plenty of food!"

Gohan nearly winced. He didn't want to get too close to his father or his other future friends — his stay here was only temporary, after all — and in any case, he still harbored feelings of guilt and great sorrow regarding the tragic incident with Cell and his father. But how could he refuse him? Goku was standing there in front of him, smiling and humming and looking at Gohan expectantly, a huge grin on his face. This could very well be his last opportunity to spend some time with his father for a very long time; back in his world, once they had summoned the Eternal Dragon to undo all of the damage done by Cell, Goku had contacted them from Other World and told them that he had decided not to return to life for fear of reprisal from their longtime villains. It was heartbreaking to the half-Saiyan, but Gohan had tried to respect his father's decision, and even now, a year later, he still hadn't fully come to terms with it.

_I suppose there's no harm in having dinner with them_, Gohan thought, his spirits lifting slightly. _Besides_,_ I really want to see what Father was like as a child. But I'm going to have to watch my step carefully from now on; I can't cause any significant changes to the timeline or I won't be born._

"Fine, I guess that's okay," Gohan agreed.

"Yippee!" Goku cried, leaping up into the air excitedly, and once he had landed, he led Gohan back to his friends.

The group headed off, chatting easily amongst themselves as they moved on, not even noticing a worried-looking Master Roshi dawdling behind, staring morosely at his empty wallet.

* * *

After fifty-six servings of bread, rice, fried chicken, pudding, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, fish, goose, fried turkey, dumplings, and roasted ham, Gohan realized just how hungry a half-Saiyan child surviving for three days on only fish and the occasional stray wolf could be, as had been his case while he was waiting for the Tenkaichi Budokai to begin.

Gohan had almost forgotten where and when he was, but now, he was vividly reminded of it when he noticed all of the others staring at him in complete and utter shock, all but Goku, who was leaning back in his chair with his hands over his tummy, completely stuffed.

"Wow, that's thirty-four full-course meals," Bulma said dumbly.

"Thirty-four? I lost count at nineteen," Yamcha said in disbelief.

"I've never seen anyone but Goku eat that much," Krillin observed.

Now suddenly very aware of the situation he was in, Gohan desperately thought of a way to get out of it. Unfortunately, none came to him. Self-consciously rubbing his stomach, Gohan stuttered, "Uh, so, um, uh, should I have skipped that last helping of pasta?"

The rest of the group fell over. _Oh_,_ man_,_ I don't think that worked! Now what?_

Luckily for Gohan, his rescue came in the form of his younger father. "Ahhh," he said, letting out a long sigh of contentment, "that was good. I wonder if I should save room for dessert?"

The others fell over again, but inwardly Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. _At least their attention is on Father now_,_ rather than me_, he thought, greatly reassured.

As they were leaving the restaurant, Gohan noticed Master Roshi loitering behind at the counter, looking incredibly anxious. Shrugging, he made his way outside with the rest of his future friends, listening to them rather than joining in, lest he accidentally let something slip and make them even more suspicious of him.

_Cell is out there somewhere_,_ I can just feel it_, Gohan reflected. _But he must be suppressing his ki; I can't sense him anywhere_,_ not even on nearby planets. What's his game? What's he playing at? Why did he choose this specific time?_ Gohan suddenly remembered what Cell and Dr. Gero himself had told them about the impetus behind the creation of the androids. _They said Daddy defeated the old Red Ribbon Army and that Dr. Gero wanted revenge on him for interfering in his plans! But_,_ if Cell is here to kill Father_,_ why hasn't he just done it already? By his account_,_ he's had all the time in the world to do so!_ Gohan shook his head, feeling the symptoms of a migraine coming on. He was overanalyzing this to death. He took in a deep breath and calmed his mind. _Piccolo's right; you must always have a plan of action rather than just charging headlong into battle. I have to be patient. Cell will reveal himself eventually. Until then_,_ I'll wait._

"... was training with Master Roshi as challenging as it was last time?" Gohan heard Goku saying, tuning himself back into the conversation.

"Definitely," Krillin said. "If you remember the program we did together, multiply that by a hundred. When I wasn't farming and delivering milk, I was lugging around a hundred pound stones!"

"A hundred pound stones?" Goku repeated with a smile. "That does sound challenging."

Krillin chuckled. "Hey, new kid," he said, turning to Gohan.

"Uh, yeah?" Gohan asked, wondering what Krillin could possibly want with him.

"How strong are you?" Krillin asked. "I mean, I know we're practically pros, so you probably don't know what you're getting yourself into, but just tell me: What's your record?"

_What do I do_,_ what do I do_,_ what do I do?_ Gohan wondered.

"Well," Gohan began slowly, trying his best to ignore the sweat dripping down his brow, "I can, uh..." _I don't want to appear as strong as they are_,_ otherwise they'll get suspicious of me_,_ but if I make a mistake and look _too_ strong_,_ they'll know I'm lying!_ "I can, hmm..." _Think_,_ Gohan_,_ think!_ "... lift large boulders, um, probably around a hundred pounds, sometimes even one-fifty. I also, uh... well, I do swimming, mostly, and I think my personal best is, er... well, maybe fifty-five, sixty miles an hour. I also, uh, can jump really high, and I have tough skin and know how to throw a punch. Um, honestly, I know how to fight, I've been fighting since I was five years old." There, that now, that was the truth, at least partly; yes, he had been fighting since he was that young, ever since Piccolo had kidnapped him in preparation for the Saiyans.

"All right, calm down, kid, there's no reason to act so nervous," Yamcha laughed. "It sounds to me like you're pretty good, but I warn you, if we get in the ring together, I won't be going easy on you."

Despite himself, Gohan laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

Just then, Master Roshi stumbled out of the restaurant, looking pale and a little strained. He nearly tripped as he made his way over to the rest of them.

"You don't look well," Turtle observed. "What's the matter? Was there a problem with the manager?"

"How many times do I have to tell you to be quiet and mind your own business?!" Master Roshi uncharacteristically snapped.

Suddenly becoming acutely aware of the stares of all of the others now on him, Master Roshi placed a hand on the back of his head and laughed rather loudly. "Eh, I don't know what came over me, must have been, uh, something in the soup." He abruptly changed the subject, probably looking to distract them. "Hey, I've got a good idea. Why don't we all go back to the hotel and watch some dirty movies... I mean, relax!" Master Roshi added at the glares the others sent him.

The others all murmured their assent. Bulma turned around to face Gohan. "Hey, Icarus?" she asked.

"Hm?" Gohan wondered, drawing his attention away from Master Roshi and his sudden peculiar behavior.

"You don't have a place to stay, do you?" she asked.

Gohan shook his head. "Not really... I was planning on finding a nice cave to sleep in, or..."

"What?!" Bulma exclaimed. "That's ridiculous! You can't survive on the outside alone!" Gohan looked rather shocked, but after a moment, she shook her head and said, "Well, that settles it. You can come with us to the hotel."

"What?!" Yamcha, Krillin, and Master Roshi exclaimed, not liking the idea of this strange boy sharing a room with them.

"R-Really?" Gohan said happily. "Are you sure it wouldn't be an imposition?"

"Of course not," Bulma said, beaming at Gohan, but also appearing a trifle smug at her handiwork.

"B-B-B-B-But..." Master Roshi began petulantly.

Bulma whirled on him, her hands on her hips, eyes flaring. Master Roshi cowered. "Now, listen here, all of you! This poor kid doesn't have a place of his own to stay, and if you'll just come down off your high and mighty horses, you'll see that I'm right! He's a sweet boy, and he has nowhere else to go, so if you don't shut up right now and just _accept_ it, then I swear I'll make you all so miserable you'll be begging for mercy for the rest of your lives! So Icarus _is_ coming and he _is_ staying at the hotel!"

"Yeah, I can vouch for that," Launch added conversationally, twirling her trademark gun around her index finger.

"Any objections?" Bulma finished sweetly.

The three males shook their heads, hoping to be spared the wrath of the Angry, Vengeful Women.

"Good," Bulma replied with a smug smirk on her face, while the boy they were... ahem, _conversing_ about stood riveted to the ground, blushing furiously at Bulma referring to him as a "sweet boy."

Goku laughed. Gohan looked at him. He was smiling.

"It's okay," he said consolingly. "She's always like that. Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

Gohan chuckled.

* * *

The ride back to the hotel was uneventful, although a bit tense, as the three offenders huddled together in the back, afraid of incurring the wrath of the all-powerful scary women. The evening ended with a rather spirited game of Old Maid, which Master Roshi lost in a spectacular fashion, and before anyone knew it was well into the night.

Master Roshi called it a night so that they could get their rest for the big tournament tomorrow, and they all retreated to their respective sleeping quarters. Gohan watched with mild exasperation as Roshi crept into the girls' room, smacking his hand into his forehead. Any second now...

KAPOW!

Yup, there it was, and not a minute later, Master Roshi emerged from their room, his glasses shattered and smacked into his face, a thin trickle of blood running down his nose. He approached the old master, hoping to get a word in with him while they were still alone out in the hallway...

"Huh? Oh, it's you, Icarus," Master Roshi said as soon as he had gotten closer. "What can I do for you?"

"Master Roshi," Gohan began, a bit hesitantly, because he didn't want to cause trouble or draw more attention to himself, but in the end his overpowering curiosity got the better of him. "You're Jackie Chun, aren't you?" he said bluntly.

Master Roshi started in surprise, backing up a few paces, his face a mask of undisguised shock. Quickly realizing this, he hurriedly hitched an unconvincing expression of surprise-but-indifference unto his face and said rather loudly, "What? Me, Jackie Chun? That handsome devil? Noooo, you must have made a mistake! Why on Earth would you ever think _that_?"

"I heard you, Master Roshi," Gohan said sincerely. "When you were talking to that monk, I heard it all. I... have sensitive hearing," he added.

For a moment, Master Roshi seemed to have forgotten what Gohan had just said and looked suddenly intrigued. "Oh? Really? Hm, that reminds me of Goku," he said wistfully. "That boy could hear a pin drop from a mile away." But Master Roshi suddenly snapped back to the present with lightning-quick speed, and gulped. "But, seriously, you heard... every word I said?" At Gohan's nod, Master Roshi looked positively desperate. He sank to his knees, prostrating himself before Gohan. "Please, Icarus, you can't reveal my secret! Please, I know it sounds strange, but I'm only doing this for the sake of my students, and if I let them know then my ruse is shot! I want your word that _you're not gonna tell them!_"

"Whoa, Master Roshi, it's okay, I promise I won't," Gohan soothed. "It's not my secret to tell, anyway. But why are you doing this, Master? Why enter the tournament under an alias?"

Master Roshi straightened up with a relieved sigh. Reaching into his pocket, he fumbled with something in there for a minute before pulling out a fresh pair of sunglasses. Replacing the broken ones on his face with this new pair, Master Roshi cleared his throat and stared down at Gohan, his demeanor radiating an unmistakable sense of seriousness and worry.

"I suppose since, you've figured out my secret, you have a right to know," Master Roshi said with a solemn air. "It all started three years ago at the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai, in which Goku and Krillin were competing. Back then they were my only two students, and I had high hopes for them and their skills. Already at their age, they had displayed remarkable progress in both strength and wisdom, and I knew that for them to fight in the tournament would mean nothing less than absolute victory. And that simply could not be allowed.

"You see, the title is just that, only a title, there is no one person who can truly call themselves the master of martial arts. I'm afraid that if Goku or Krillin or even Yamcha ever won the championship, it would go to their heads, and they would lose interest, getting weaker as a result and diminishing their astounding potential. But, if they thought that there was someone stronger out there, like Jackie Chun, then they would stay humbled and continue their training, with focus and dedication, and so that, my boy, is why I'm here: To make sure they don't get arrogant by winning it all and giving in to their egos. Can you understand that?"

"Yes, now I understand," Gohan said with a private grin. "I promise they won't find out from me. Good night, Master Roshi."

Gohan turned to head into the boys' room.

"Oh, and... Icarus?"

Gohan turned back to face Master Roshi.

"What is it, Master Roshi?"

"Remember well what I told you. There is no true master of fighting. _You_ are the master of _yourself_, nothing else."

Gohan smiled.

"Thanks, Master Roshi."

The sounds of soft snores filled the room he was in. Pale moonlight filtered in through the open window, barely illuminating the darkened room. Gohan, the boy who had taken it upon himself to return here, to this time, in search of Cell, was unable to sleep, huddled under the blanket and deep in thought.

_He's gotta be somewhere close by_, Gohan thought. _But what's his motive for coming here? Nothing he does in this timeline will have any effect on the future world where I come from. What is his reasoning? Does he have a plan_,_ or is he misleading me?_ Gohan turned over, unable to banish these disturbing thoughts from his mind. _Until he shows himself_,_ all I can do is wait. I'm the only one in this time who can stop him. If I fail_,_ all is lost_,_ and Cell will destroy this world too._

Trying to distract himself, Gohan looked over at his father, soundly asleep and snoring loudly.

_He's a lot like my Goku_, Gohan thought fondly, a small smile lighting his face. He giggled softly as a bubble at the corner of Goku's mouth expanded and popped. Goku rubbed at his cheek unconsciously, still snoring, and turned over, shielding him from further examination. _It's going to be hard hiding my true feelings for him over the next few days. But why?_ a sudden part of his mind argued. _Why hide it from him? Anything you tell him in this time won't make any bit of difference to your world._

_But if I tell him he's my father_,_ I won't be born_, the sensible part of his brain countered.

_But the other you will never even know he hadn't existed_, the other half persisted. _Besides_,_ how do you know that's what's going to happen exactly? Who's to say your father won't do all those things over again even knowing you're going to be born? It's not like him to simply let someone_,_ someone he might grow close to even in this time_,_ fade from existence._

_I... I can't_, that other, defiant part of his brain reasoned, its logic crumbling in the face of his other half's arguments. _It still might not work out that way_,_ and that's a risk I'm just not willing to take._ After a moment, Gohan shook his head. _Listen to you_,_ arguing with yourself_, he told himself sternly. It felt like all of him was at war, his mind a constant battlefield to the confused and conflicted emotions burning within him. _I-I can't stay here. Not now_, Gohan decided. _I've got to get out of here and get some time alone to think._

Getting out of his bed, Gohan quietly tiptoed to the window. Getting up onto the sill, Gohan chanced one last glance back at the sleeping occupants of the room. His eyes falling one last time on his father, Gohan nodded once, then turned his back on them.

Propelling himself from the window, Gohan powered up and flew away.

* * *

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